


Fear Factor

by EtherealNyx



Series: Pre-Game Galar Works [11]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood Loss, Gen, Like. A lot, Pokemon Battle, Psychic Abilities, this sounds more violent than it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-17 21:46:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20628038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtherealNyx/pseuds/EtherealNyx
Summary: Some gyms are easier than others, but each one has its own unique challenges. Bede’s about to find that out the hard way.In which we cut to lights, camera, action!





	Fear Factor

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, as of writing this, Opal hasn’t been revealed. Yes, I am taking a shot in the dark. Yes, you love me anyway. RIP to my younger self, but I’m different.
> 
> There’s minor violence associated with this, though it is mostly of the Pokémon battle variety. I’d say read with caution.
> 
> Also, this is so long? I don’t even care about Bede that much. I’m a Hop stan this is so funny dmeksmsms
> 
> !!! Read on!!!

_ Fairy type specialists are usually pretty odd, but their one connecting trend is a peculiar connection to the arts. Our very own Trial Captain is a renowned painter, producing works that most people could only dream of! As for Galar? Well… Let’s just say that a lot goes into the making of a movie star. _

\- an excerpt from  _ An Alolan Guidebook to Galar _

* * *

Bede didn’t like most gyms - they were insipid stepping stones to the top - but this one took the cake. 

Normally, he spent a lot of time researching a gym before taking it on; his pride demanded nothing else than utter perfection, and it was simple to attain that when you were appropriately prepared. He couldn’t say the same for this portion of the challenge though. 

Really, when he thought hard on the matter, it was all Marnie’s fault. One insinuation that he wasn’t good at thinking on the fly, and she had him swearing to tackle Opal’s Fairy gym with nothing but his wits and loyal team. Did he think he could do it? Absolutely not. He  _ knew  _ he was capable enough to destroy the gym leader in her own domain. For once, Bede would just have to rely on prior knowledge to aid him in his endeavors.

He didn’t know a thing about Opal. She appeared in certain magazines for her roles, always wearing different wigs, but none of those ever seemed to talk about her ace or anything else that mattered. It was all chemistry this and feeling that. As if her acting could  _ ever _ be as good as her actual job! It boggled the mind to see people ranting over how well she bonded with Pokémon who were specifically trained to show up on the screen. Didn’t her bond with her personal team matter more?

Having resolved himself to investigate the matter during the battle, Bede entered the building, expecting nothing at all.

Immediately, floodlights seared his vision. “Ow!” He cried out, pressing his palms to his eyelids as quickly as possible. “What on earth?”

“That’s what I like to see!” An excited voice boomed. “Passion! That exquisite terror! Everyone, we have our new star!” 

Bede squinted his eyes at the overly happy man. Unless his newly damaged eyes deceived him, he was one of those people who welcomed newcomers to gyms. This was absurdity at its finest. “Star?” He questioned, hands on his hips. “What do you mean by  _ star _ ?”

The man spread his arms wide. “Here at Opal’s Studio, we make the content people crave! Our next project? A movie, starring YOU! Can you go toe to toe with the executive producer and win a badge? Who knows?!?” He talked like a Spoink from a cartoon, all high pitched and squealing. It only served to make his words all the more comical.

“I certainly will.” Bede replied confidently. “There’s no way I’ll succumb now!”

“THAT’S THE SPIRIT! PLACES, EVERYONE!”

There was the sound of people rushing about, out of sight. Bede would have been more concerned if the feeling of jittery determination hadn’t settled in his bones. “Through the door then?” He hazarded a guess.

“Absolutely!” The strange man grinned. “Bede, you’re just on time.”

* * *

“Oh! Marnie!” Hop rushed over to the quiet girl, bringing Victor and Gloria along for the ride. “You’re here to watch too? You don’t usually come to these things.” 

“I was curious.” She smiled warmly at all of them; while it was small, that didn’t make it fake. “Bede claimed he’d be going in blind for once. I didn’t feel like missing it.”

“Well, you can sit with us if you’d like.” Victor offered. “There’s no real assigned seating.” 

She paused. “I wouldn’t like to bother you guys. I’m sure you’d like the chance to catch up. Besides, that fanclub might make a showing…” It was a horrible excuse, and they all knew it.

Gloria rolled her eyes with an extremely disgruntled sigh. “Come on!” She tugged Marnie along with her. “I want to get good seats sometime this century,  _ please. _ ”

Despite her token words of protest, the punk girl didn’t pull away. They sat in a cluster, legs tangled and shoulders together.  _ A singular unit.  _ Victor thought, but kept it to himself. 

“This is going to be a fun fight to watch!” Hop was wiggling in his seat. “Opal was pretty tough for me!”

“Hell, she was tricky for  _ all  _ of us! 200 Pokedollars he’ll get his ass kicked.” 

“You shouldn’t bet on these things, Gloria.” Victor scolded her. “It’s rude.”

The look she gave him was full of mischief. “I’ll make it 250 and a sack of potatoes.”

“Is it three days old  _ again _ ? That’s not even appealing! You just hate my Pokémon!” Victor groaned.

“What? No. I just hate  _ you. _ ” His cousin jabbed him in the cheek jokingly. Zamazenta, she really was the worst.

Marnie’s light chuckle distracted them both. “Are they like this all the time?” She directed the question to Hop, who looked equally amused.

“Yeah, pretty much!” He agreed, holding in his own giggles. It was a cute look on him.

Gloria gaped at his silently shaking frame. “You traitor!” 

He faked an offended gasp. “Perish the thought! I really am hyped though. Leon’s pretty intimidated by her full team, you know!” 

Hop often accidentally spilled facts about his brother, a worrisome habit. Victor memorized them all because of who was saying them, but it was concerning how well someone could form a strategy based on all the little nuances of an individual. He knew Gloria wouldn’t take advantage of that at least. He couldn’t say the same for Marnie.

That being said, he didn’t overly mind the girl though. She was nicer than most people gave her credit for, even if her Morpeko was a demon in a small package. In fact, she seemed more preoccupied with watching the screen than their conversation. Maybe there was nothing to worry about after all.

“I’m not very worried about Bede in terms of battling.” She spoke quietly. “Opal’s tough, but she’s hardly on the level of the other ones. I’m more bothered by another aspect.”

_ Another aspect?  _ Victor mouthed the words. She seemed to be waiting for everyone to put things together for themselves. What was he forgetting about the gym leader?

“Oh!” Hop blurted out. “Isn’t she on a horror kick this year? She mentioned, um, missing out on my goals for my battle.”

Dread settled in his stomach. “It was failing loved ones for mine.” Psychic abilities were far too esoteric for his tastes, but that didn’t diminish his anxiety. 

“Yes…” Marnie slowly tapped a finger to her lips. “I wonder what someone like him fears?” 

Gloria turned her sharp gaze to the screen. “Huh. I guess we’ll find out.”

* * *

  
  


Turquoise was a makeup artist. Bede was starting to recognize a trend.

The first room had a script writer who went by Citrine; he had shoved papers into his hands before demanding an all out battle. Naturally, the young trainer obliged him. For a man who blustered on and on about how important conveying a mood was, both his dialogue and tactics were lackluster. He didn’t expect the man to be impressive by any means, but he still felt underwhelmed.  _ This  _ was an example of Opal’s prowess?

Next came a half-assembled horror movie set, complete with fake blood splatters and unpleasantly poor lighting. “Boo!” screamed the next trainer, aptly named Bloodstone. “Were you scared? Admit it! You totally were!” Put out when he denied such a thing, she insisted that only a battle could resolve the issue. Surprisingly, her Floette was a bit tricky to handle, but it went down just the same. “I guess… I was the one scared in the end… Oh, how embarrassing! I’m sorry, Floette!” She wailed.

By the time he got to Turquoise, he felt like the subject of a poor joke. People kept darting around in the darkness, but they never once approached, leaving him in a state of frustrated confusion. Who  _ were  _ those people? And why were they watching his progress in such a secretive fashion? This entire debacle of a gym was more unsettling than he had initially expected.

The trainer before him clicked their tongue. “For our protagonist, your look just isn’t cutting it! I’ll have to make you sparkle once you beat me!”

“Once I beat you?” Bede interrupted. “Aren’t you lot supposed to be more capable than that?”   


  
They appraised him with an even more critical look. “Of course we are.” Turquoise sniffed. “But we’re also not supposed to cream a little kid. You’re not on your 8th badge! It wouldn’t be fair. Oh, and the star never loses, yada yada.”

“You’re basically implying you throw matches. Isn’t that against the rules?”

  
  
“Aren’t you a little too young to be questioning gym regulations? Let’s battle!”

  
  
His blood was boiling. One angry snap later, and Duosion was decimating the competition. 

  
  
“Damn! My poor Alcremie…” Turquoise groused without much emotion. “Anyway, good luck, kid.”

  
  
“Wait. Before I go, I have a question.” He tried not to seethe too visibly, but it was no doubt apparent on his face.

They ran their fingers over their Love Ball. “Yes? What is it?” 

Bede stared them down, fighting the intense frown trying to leap onto his lips. “Do all of you have gem names by accident? It’s an odd coincidence.” He asked lightly.

A loud chuckle escaped them, startling them both. “Seriously? Never heard of stage names? Man, Opal’s gonna be  _ so _ disappointed.” 

Countless inquiries, most of them rude ones, flitted through his mind. Where was the thought involved in this gym? The finesse? The challenge, even? 

_ When I become champion,  _ Bede thought spitefully,  _ Opal will be the first person to go.  _ With a curt nod, he slid through the final door, having no expectations whatsoever.

* * *

  
  


Opal was not at all surprised by her new challenger. 

Bede was quickly forming a reputation with her coworkers, and it wasn’t a very likable one. On a whole, the policy was to be lenient towards the younger challengers, so it was unnerving to see otherwise pleasant adults dislike a child. Her only concrete assessment of the situation at the time was that he somehow fit into some of their pet peeves.

Now that he was directly in front of her, she understood much better now. Some kids took their ambitions to cruel heights; at first glance, the kid was part of that very brand. Technically, Opal had explicit permission to crush him. Leon even  _ recommended it _ in instances like these.

But her second and third glances were telling her something far more interesting.

“Hi, Bede!” She greeted him cordially. “How have you been?”

  
  
He looked perfectly blank, but pulses of irritation were showing up on her radar like wildfire. “I’m quite alright, thank you.” The question wasn’t returned. “Are we going to begin now?”

“Nope.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “I have a policy of waiting before the cameras start rolling. We all need a chance to decompress and rehearse!”

“Rehearse.” He repeated flatly. “People here keep calling me the star, and I still have no idea what that truly means. Enlighten me.”

  
  
Opal pulled off her wig; it was starting to itch. “Think of this as my grand production. Galarians eat up stories on their own, so why not give them what they really want? If they can see my challengers as heroes, then I’ve done my job! And if they can’t, that can be an interesting story too. A protagonist isn’t always good, yes?”

“So this farce is just for the sake of entertainment?  _ Why?  _ How can someone so prestigious feel fulfilled over this mockery of what gym battles ought to be like?”

She looked his indignation in the eye and laughed. “Oh, Bede. Poor, poor Bede. Everything you’re doing right now is for entertainment’s sake. You think your goals  _ matter _ ? People don’t root for you because they genuinely care about your backstory. They support you out of amusement, affection, maybe even hate. That’s what living in the limelight is all about. Only the best actors can make the cut.”

It wasn’t often that she got to shock someone so young. Watching Bede recoil from her blunt critique of his viewpoint was more amusing than she could have ever pictured. Silently, she gestured to the cameramen in the wings. The sound of machinery intensified, for that was meant to happen.

“Rising Star Bede!” Opal boomed, tossing the wig away to the side. “Welcome to your final challenge! Having bested every obstacle in your way, it all comes down to one last battle! But can you battle with your mind as surely as you battle with my Pokémon?”

Bede gawked at her. “What could you possibly mean by  _ that _ ?”

Her mind extended towards his, a spider’s web of intent. “Bede, what exactly are you so afraid of?”

* * *

  
  


With a whirring sound from hidden motors, the shield covering the arena began to unfold like a hasty attempt to cover up how badly you suck at origami. 

“Ugh, finally!” Gloria resisted the urge to pump her fist. “Squinting at those screens was starting to make my eyes leak.”

“Most people call that crying.” Hop quipped. 

She aimed a smack at him without looking. Victor yelped instead. Figures. 

After a brief interlude where she accepted a comparatively weak and somewhat deserved punch on the shoulder back, she continued staring as more and more of the arena was revealed. “Has she started on the fear thing yet? I can’t read those little subtitles.” 

“Uh…” Victor rubbed at his side. “Probably not. Isn’t she going to do the wig thing first?”

“RISING STAR BEDE!”

“There we go. It’s begun.” Marnie said, stating the obvious. “Any moment now…”

Opal’s smile was a dagger on its own, but her silvery eyes took the cake in terms of resemblance. “Bede, what exactly are you so afraid of?” 

All four of them leaned forward eagerly, much like the rest of the eerily silent crowd. 

“Anyone would think that you thrive in this world we’ve created, but you’re quaking in your boots! What terrifies you the most? The cameras, always watching your every step? The fans, screaming for your defeat? Or is it that real terror, the idea that you’ll disappoint the people who expect ‘great things’ from you?” She stalked away from him, getting into position. “If you’re here to fight for your own future, then what do you want? What  _ drives _ you? I, Opal, will crush your dreams before they’ve even begun!”

The pattern was familiar. She’d send out an Impidimp, pretend her team was weak, and then mop the floor with the challenger. Fairy lovers were no joke! It was only by the skin of her fucking teeth that Gloria avoided the usual outcome. Opal had congratulated her, but her awful grin… She didn’t envy anyone who had to go up against her at full strength.

Bede, however, remained frozen. Nary a twitch or sign of life could be found. “That’s not normal…” Victor mumbled under his breath apprehensively. “Shouldn’t he send out one of his Pokémon?” 

The crowd began to murmur. (Personally, Gloria thought most of them were paid to be there.) “Is he okay?” She heard.

Without any prompting, his Duosion made an appearance. “Oh, that’s a horrible choice! Did he forgot about the Dark type on the field?” Hop began pressing on his cheeks. Even Opal didn’t look overly impressed.

“He didn’t choose it.” Marnie said plainly. “It decided to come out on its own. My Morpeko does that sometimes when hungry or upset.” That sounded way more troublesome than her tone implied; most Morpeko were like that constantly  _ anyway. _

The cameras zoomed in on Bede’s face. For a brief moment, he looked haunted before a lazy smirk returned to his face. “You know what to do, Duo!” He snapped his fingers.

What Duosion was meant to do at that moment remained a mystery. Before he even finished talking, Opal’s Impidimp was racing towards them. Only a few seconds passed before its claws, darkened by energy, were tearing through the green layer that separated the Mitosis Pokémon from the outside environment. 

The poor Psychic type shrieked. Licking its hands clean, the odd gremlin trotted back to its starting position, watching carefully. Duosion writhed in midair, overwhelmed by the unusual agony. Several emotions were wreaking havoc on his face. Mostly, Gloria thought Bede seemed horrified; the abrupt violence had to be a shock to his system. 

Victor grimaced too. “This isn’t even her going all out. That’s the bad news.” For someone so passionate about becoming a breeder in the future, he seemed to know more and more about every obstacle on their path with each passing day. It was a little bit peculiar, but she couldn’t deny how proud she was of his efforts to improve his battling skills. 

“And the good news?” Marnie’s look was pointed.

Her cousin grinned more wildly than usual. “His Duosion has a Fighting type Hidden Power. I learned that the hard way.” Victor informed them with dark amusement. “She’ll think twice once he counters with-”

_ “GET DOWN!”  _

She only vaguely registered Hop throwing himself on top of the three of them before the world dissolved into purple light.

Gloria resurfaced with a gasp. Everything ached, but that was a good sign. She  _ probably  _ wasn’t dead then.

Taking stock of her surroundings only made that theory more promising. For one, her friends were still in the same clothes, though all of them had cuts scattered across her body. Her nose was gushing blood, so she wasn’t much better. It also helped that Opal and Bede were still on the field, though it was quickly resembling a war zone than anything else.

“What happened?” She winced at the pulsing in her head.  _ Bollocks, it hurt. _

“Psychic bomb.” Out of everyone, Hop looked the most beat up, having taken most of the blast for the rest of them. Guilt bubbled up in her belly. “He’s gone ‘round the twist!”

“ _ And  _ he broke the Dynamax shield. We have to go now before the structural integrity of the building is compromised.” Marnie’s report was matter-of-fact; she said it like her wounds, the rest of the people, and Bede’s mental state didn’t matter. 

“But what about helping?” Victor was sniffling, a sure sign of holding back tears, but determination shone through the pain in his eyes. “A lot of people got caught in the blast! We can’t just leave them here!”

“I know.” Marnie didn’t make much of an effort to sound reassuring. “That’s why we will go and get help. We’re of no use to anyone if we get stuck here too.” 

It was overly pragmatic. Gloria wasn’t used to being around people who thought in those terms; even Victor was swayed by pathos first and logos second.

“I! Okay…” Her cousin gave in, crumpling in on himself. “Sounds like a plan.”

They stumbled out of the stands, maneuvering around downed bodies they didn’t dare to look at. The blast wasn’t actually anywhere near the force most psychic bombs were, but accidents happened and… Gloria didn’t want to see it. She could only hope that Bede was very,  _ very _ lucky.

* * *

  
  


** _You need to calm down._ **

_ No!  _ Bede resisted. Everything was a dark, dark red.  _ Duosion! _

** _Everything is alright now. Calm down. _ ** The voice insisted.  ** _You’re hurting people. You hurt your friends._ **

_ I don’t  _ have  _ friends.  _ He really didn’t. Gloria took pleasure out of crushing his team, but the others were little more than side characters in his life. How could he have hurt a ‘friend’ if no one was close to him? The prospect of having multiple was even more absurd.

An alien sort of confusion settled over him.  ** _You’re wrong. Rein yourself in. You’re destroying my gym!_ **

Bede glared into the red darkness.  _ Get out of my head. _

** _You’re hurting-_ **

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” 

They stared at each other, equally appalled by the outburst. Opal was bleeding from her cheek, he noted. Why was she bleeding?

“Quit it with the fucking energy and then I will!” She snapped. “Arceus, it’s like you’ve never met another psychic before! What’s wrong with you, kid?”

Before he could reply, she flinched. “I’m sorry. That was unprofessional of me. Just, please. Turn it off.” Her voice was very quiet.

Bede shut his eyes and flipped the switch. 

Opal rubbed at her cheek before staring at the red staining her fingers. “Please leave. You can return in one week.” She told him distantly. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. Most kids come in here knowing what to expect from me. I suppose I’ve become rather cruel as I’ve aged. Or maybe that’s always been the case.”

He didn’t accept her apology. He didn’t ask if he could help. Instead, he cradled his Pokémon to his chest and exited the room. One week. One week and he’d be ready. Bede would never do something so awful again.

**Author's Note:**

> Can you tell that I like MP100? Actually, this was more for a friend’s benefit than anything else, but I still like MP100.
> 
> \- While this was based not so subtly on going 100, the actual reasoning behind it and what actually happens is pretty much original. Bede doesn't suppress emotions in the way Mob does, and his explosions aren't the same either. He’s just extremely volatile.
> 
> \- Opal is a Gym Leader mentioned in the infamous Affleck leak, which just got ANOTHER bit of confirmation after the new release of Sirfetch’d. (Please watch the Japanese trailer by the way! It’s in the comments of the English trailer Twitter post.) She’s written as “the first Fairy type gym”, which is. Wrong. Rip Valerie. So honestly, I dunno if she’s actually a Fairy type specialist, or if she’s a Dark type specialist. I went with Impidimp as a result. She’s also mentioned to be an actress if I recall right, hence the inspiration for this.
> 
> \- Dynamax shields aren’t actually a thing, but I think the stadiums should have some form of protection. Breaking them is very difficult.
> 
> \- No one died in the making of this fanfic. The worst injuries were temporary unconsciousness and broken noses. Oh, and emotional duress, which can often be worse. 
> 
> \- I don’t actually know how to work out the math for Hidden Power. I’m bad at math!
> 
> \- One day... One day, I will write An Alolan Guidebook to Galar. One day.
> 
> Anyway, that’s all! Kudos and comments are appreciated, but not required, and my Tumblr is bi-hop, so if you want to request any Pokémon fics, I’ll consider them!!! Thank you so much!


End file.
